Forevermore
by VictoriaHarperGrayson
Summary: A take on what Victoria's alleged death might have resulted in, had it been successful. A/N - Due to positive reviews and the ideas running through my mind, I've decided to continue to story. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

For now, her home was an apartment in London. The last time she ever had to deal with an apartment was when her last name was Harper and being a penniless woman was simply expected when it came to that name. During her relationship with Dominik Wright, the two shared a crowded loft that hardly offered room to move since Dominik's paintings and supplies took up the vast majority of their living space. Constantly, he promised that someday he would be able to do better for her and even though she wanted to believe him, she knew deep down that she never could. People made promises and the only reason a promise seemed to hold so much value to a person was due to their hopes of it being kept; meaning, there was a fifty percent chance that the other party would hold to their end of the bargain, and a fifty percent chance that they wouldn't. Experienced proved time and time again that Victoria's matters were always settled by the latter. So when she was promised something, she never actually took it seriously. And knowing that his pockets contained nothing but lint reminded her that the man was nothing but a painter. A brilliant painter, but only when it came to counterfeits. Other than that, his muse was unable to kick into gear. In all of their years apart during her marriage, he failed to finish his original painting of Victoria. She loved it anyway, but their short lived rekindling proved what she suspected all along. He still rented out tiny lofts and never did he stay long. Conrad forcing him to leave was devastating to Victoria several weeks ago, but she knew deep down that he eventually would have drifted elsewhere soon enough anyway. It was simply the fact that her divorce had failed to keep Conrad Grayson from dictating her life.

This, however, was quite the game changer. Victoria Grayson was nothing but a ghost since the night she failed to make it over to Washington D.C. in an effort to finally exonerate David Clarke. Instead, the trip was interrupted by an explosion on the jet that would leave no survivors. She knew Conrad was a smart man and it was very poetic of him to try to kill Victoria with a tragic jet mishap, seeing how David's downfall was connected to an ill-fated flight many years ago. Poetic it was, but she couldn't help but feel as though that would someday bite him in the ass later on. How dumb did he assume the world was? How many times could his name be traced back to deadly plane mishaps before the blame was finally pointed his way? Perhaps the blame would revolve around him sooner than later since little did he know, Victoria Grayson was a ghost with the ability to haunt him for the rest of his life.

All it took for her to survive was for Gordon Murphy to call her minutes before the tragic end of the ones she cared for, Lydia included. He told her to get off the plane and that he would be able to keep her safe. It was something she didn't necessarily believe since he was a crooked man with an agenda, but her future wasn't looking too bright at the moment anyway, so she decided to get off of the plane with the evidence Conrad believed was now destroyed, and she walked off with Gordon. She couldn't even find it in her to tell her oldest friend that something awful was going to happen. Gordon never specified that Victoria couldn't take anyone with her, but she selfishly felt for months as though Lydia needed to burn in hell since she spent too much time and far too many orgasms on Conrad. The relationship had always been complicated between Conrad and herself and it was true that she'd been stuck on David Clarke since the day they met, and she failed to get over him even ten years after his death. But yet, Victoria was always possessive of what was hers and since Lydia took that control out of her life, she felt a horrible sense of satisfaction when the explosion occurred and she knew that Lydia Davis was literally burning in hell.

During her time in her halfway house, so to speak, Gordon worked out the details to help not only Victoria, but Charlotte escape the Hampton life that was far less glamorous than perceived. Her seventeen year old daughter who was actually the product of Victoria's affair with David, became her only contact. The two were finally growing closer before Victoria went off the map and after hearing about Charlotte's attempted overdose, the Ice Queen knew she had to bring her daughter in on the mutually beneficial plot. The both would be given new identities and would be taken somewhere far away by Gordon, so long as he got paid. A minor hiccup in the plan was Conrad stealing Charlotte's inheritance. Although she was a resourceful young woman and not only squeezed some money out of Daniel, but also pawned some valuables around the house that wouldn't go noticed right away. Victoria fought tooth and nail that she wasn't leaving without Charlotte, even after both of them paid their dues, but Charlotte convinced Victoria to go ahead and that she would catch up after readying herself to leave this life behind. Victoria hoped to god that didn't mean that Declan would end up in the four bedroom apartment that although held more space than needed, was smaller than what the Grayson women were used to. She also hoped that Charlotte wouldn't have a change of heart and would attempt to mend her relationship with Conrad. Her daughter was smart, but that never stopped anyone from doing something dumb every once in a while.

Trying to stop worrying about the life that Victoria Grayson lived, she reminded herself that she was now Veronica Madeleine Clarke and would be able to have a fresh start if she chose to let go of the past. But somehow, she felt as though it would never fade from memory, even though a new identity left her wanting to. She picked up a cup of tea as she sat at a table for two, across from Gordon Murphy, who would hopefully be leaving her alone soon enough to attempt that fresh start she craved. Sipping the warm herbed beverage, she didn't make a point to take in her surroundings, even though they were so new to her. She was frightened of this place since it wasn't home and anything but went beyond her comfort zone, but she wasn't willing to allow the white haired man to see her in even the mildest state of panic. Not today, anyway. "Can I ask you something?" she asked once the silence had stretched long enough to a point of awkwardness. She wasn't fond of sipping on her tea while a man who could barely pass for an acquaintance sat and stared. Once she set the cup down, her eyes drifted to him, staring blankly, almost right through him as she waited.

_"I think you're smart enough to figure it out," _a compliment was always a nice way to begin with her, but she wasn't going to show the slightest hint of satisfaction. The situation was very delicate, as she knew she wasn't saved out of the kindness of his heart. He probably couldn't remember the last time it bled for anyone. _"You're leverage. Don't get me wrong, I would like for you to live as comfortably as you can, and to enjoy yourself. But should Conrad ever try to stand up against myself or my people, what would better shake him up than a ghost from his past?" _

It made perfect sense, although his idea probably came with a 'read between the lines' type of deal where she couldn't raise hell the way she originally planned. So Victoria Grayson wasn't necessarily gone if Conrad ever tried to grow a backbone? Running a hand through the brunette pixie style wig that bled into a blonde at the tips, she silently told herself to stop touching the damn thing. It was itchy, but at least it looked real enough to pass for her own color treated hair. Although, she missed her long locks that were hiding underneath. It wasn't weighing too heavily on her mind though, as she thought about Gordon's question. What would shake Conrad Grayson up more than a ghost from his past. She was sure it was rhetorical, but her mind summoned the face of David Clarke as it so often did, and she smiled sadly. "Two of them," her voice was nearly a whisper.

Perhaps he didn't know how to handle others during emotional situations, because half of a smirk found the white haired man's face. Without a goodbye or anything of that sort, he stood up and turned his back to her. His exit was made easy since they chose to sit at one of the tables outside. What she did notice was how he passed the closest walkway out to place his hand on a man's shoulder. His lack of personal skills disabled him to speak to the man who was focused on a newspaper, and this time, he made his exit fluidly. She couldn't understand why she felt possessed to watch someone she didn't care about leave. Her eyes then reverted to the table Gordon made a point to pass before and sitting there with a smile that screamed a fine mix emotions, was the real life ghost of David Clarke.


	2. Chapter 2

At first, using her mind long enough to figure out how she got back home felt impossible. After living through such a tragic life, Victoria honestly believed that she would never have to worry about surprises. How would one go about surprising the woman who's had everything done to her? Well, leave it to David Clarke to figure out a way. In all fairness, it was probably Gordon's master plan to bring them together, but she wasn't feeling the desire to give him credit for anything. It was true that he saved her life, but he would have killed her if it truly benefited him. His ability to profit off of her was the only thing that got her off of that plane, and that made things very difficult to swallow. She was angry about the way she was once again a piece in somebody's twisted games, even if she should have been used to it by now. Perhaps it would have been easier to die. Actually, she knew for a fact it would have been much easier if she'd perished as Conrad intended along with all of the evidence that held the power to exonerate David. Instead, both were assumed destroyed, but both were very much around and capable of serious damage.

Lying on her bed and staring up at the ceiling, all that could possibly go through her mind was the thought of David Clarke being alive. It wasn't like she didn't understand why it hadn't been kept a secret that he was alive, and yet, she couldn't help but feel hurt on some level. She spent every day of her life since his arrest, living with a heavy heart that would eventually break at the news of his death. She failed to move on and allow herself to be happy with her life, because she always felt like being happy with someone else, even her own husband, would be cheating. Her relationship with David had been an affair technically, but she had loved him in a way she never knew that she was capable of. She loved him so much that it physically hurt. Yet, she couldn't argue that the pain was all for nothing. He suffered in unspeakable ways and for that, she knew that she deserved every last bit of what she received. She was always aware of it, but she was now more aware than ever, and currently wondering what he was thinking when he decided against escaping from Victoria's sight. Why did he allow her to know that he was alive? Or did he have no say at all? The questions burned her mind and as her fingers ran over the black cotton comforter that was pre-selected for the bed of her new home, she felt like it would be selfish to ask. And yet, he remained in her bedroom, giving her some ounce of hope that they could talk things through, regardless of their unique situation.

Eyes leaving the ceiling and fixating on her ex-lover, she felt a sting from the tears in her eyes. There was no way of her knowing if they were old or fresh, having nearly caused a scene when she first saw him. Before she got to the point of hyperventilating, David had her in the passenger seat of his car and asking for her address. She couldn't remember giving it to him, and yet they were there. Come to think of it, she wasn't a hundred percent certain that she had the address memorized. Perhaps she pointed the way or he wound up calling Gordon. However it happened, all she knew for certain was that her episode was a far cry from attractive. Of course, worrying about what you looked like while crying could be perceived as shallow, and so she kept that to herself.

He was pacing, but at the same time, he appeared calm - or much more than she was anyway. Who was going to break the silence? The brunette laid mute and hoped that he would throw her a bone, selfishly. As though reading her mind, he stopped in his tracks and pivoted on his heels to face her. Their eyes locked and even though she didn't quite understand what was going on, she knew she wasn't the only one who was amazed on some level to be looking the other in the eyes at that moment. Maybe his amazement could be translated into something much different, but for her it was love.

His expression softened as a sigh escaped his lips. He moved closer to Victoria and it caused her heart to pound so loud, she could have sworn that he was able to hear it. As if that wasn't enough to cause her heart into a frenzy, he reached out and cupped her face ever so gently in his hand carefully stroked the tears from her eyes away with his thumb, after sitting on the bed before her. "Come on," the sound of his voice was like a song you could forever play on repeat; a sound Victoria never wanted to be without again. "You know how much I hate it when you cry." Her face contorted into sheer amusement and David must have known exactly what she was thinking, because his next sentence addressed just that. "That hasn't changed. I never want to be the reason you cry."

"What about everything I've done?" challenging his apparent acceptance of her wasn't the smartest move to make, but she needed to know for sure that things were right - or as right as they could possibly be, given the circumstances. She felt like she was getting off far too easy and on some level, that wasn't okay.

"Don't get me wrong, there's no way I'll ever be able to forget about that part of my life," stating the obvious, but she could understand his desire to put that out there. "but I also remember receiving a letter from you saying that you were going to help me. For you to reach out to me, I figured that you must have been trying beforehand and I knew that you loved me. That was one of the things that kept me going in the end before Gordon got me out. When I realized that I escaped death, I hoped that we would somehow end up together."

There was no easy way to deal with this emotional turmoil, so she just needed to push through while maintaining honesty. David Clarke's been lied to far too many times. "If I'd known, I would have been with you in a heartbeat. Conrad never told me that he hired Gordon to kill you. He must have known I would have found the guts to try and expose him sooner than later. I just wish he hadn't even attempted that much. You went through enough, but to know that someone you once called a friend tried to have you killed?"

Of all the expressions that could possibly find his face, the last she could expect was one of amusement, but that was exactly what she got. "Victoria, him trying to have me killed was probably the most generous thing he could have done for me at that point. I would have rather have been killed than to have to spend the rest of my life in prison."

She shook her head, trying to shake the idea of him being killed now that she knew he was alive. "Don't say that. I wanted to help you. I was going to," it took several years, but she remembered when she finally found the courage. She spent years fighting for him, only for Conrad to tell everyone that she was crazy, therefore, an unreliable source. Pushing herself to sit up, the brunette reached out and took David's face between both hands gently. "I never want you to think that you weren't worth the fight. I nearly died fighting for you," she spoke truthfully, given Conrad's recent plan to shut her up for good.

"Which is exactly why he hired to have me killed. Whatever you had must have been enough to exonerate me. He made sure you wouldn't have a reason to use it," the man spoke knowingly, and she was sure he was briefed in on certain details by Gordon. Not all though, since the man was the secretive type. "And I'm sure a part of his desire to have me killed rooted from jealousy. I'm willing to bet he still wonders how you even contemplated choosing me over him."

As always, he found a way to make her smile and blush. Compliments always meant more when they were coming from his lips. "And how could you possibly consider yourself lucky? Don't you see, I'm poison?" Of course she wanted his love, but all she felt like she deserved was her hatred. "You're being too nice to me..."

Raising a brow, David moved his hand forward to run his fingers through her pixie styled wig. A moment's hesitation stopped him, but then he used both hands to carefully remove the wig and since he knew how she would want her hair to be perfect, he brushed his fingers through her long brunette locks to give them life once again, allowing them to fall back into place. Neither said anything at first, she simply watched as he smiled in admiration. "I'm not being too nice. If I'm not nice to you, then who will be, Victoria?"

"David, I need you to be angry with me. I know that's selfish, but you need to be angry with me. I need to know that you understand that you deserve the world and offering me an easy way out doesn't comply," as she said this, she reached up and took both of his hands in her own. Was it right to demand anything from him? She knew the answer was probably a sure negative, but she couldn't help but feel as though David was letting some of his self worth slip away by being so accepting of Victoria's presence. He understood that she did what she could to undo the damage all those years ago, but it was too late and without success at that point. He only saw the positive side of it. That was one of the things she always loved about him. On the darkest of days, he was the first to catch a glimpse of light. He hadn't changed, and yet, she was sure he had. Victoria came out of the tragic situation with much differentiating her from the old Victoria. She'd never been a model person to begin with, but losing David gave her an edge. David must have had one as well, but maybe they were immune to changing around each other. "I'm sorry," she finally said in the softest of voices. "I think this all needs to sink in before I can understand why you're being so nice to me. I understand what you're saying and yet I don't."

Squeezing her hands before letting them go, he showed an inability to physically part from her as he slipped his arms around her waist. Her head was filled with several many conflicting thoughts, although that was a common nuisance in her life. Who was she to question his embrace? Despite her confusions, she brought her arms around his waist and leaned her forehead against his head. His voice was a whisper, but in close proximity, she was able to catch it. "Your situation was complicated, but I can look passed that. You're with me now and all I ever hoped for was that you could be with me and only me. Are you ready to give me that?" without having to think it through, she responded in the form of a single nod before resting her head back against his. "I will always treat you delicately because I love you."

Silently kicking herself for all the tears she shed in a single day, she felt more fall at the sound of those three words she would have done anything to hear again. She wasn't the lucky type and always had work hard to gain, only to find out that the thing she desired were only disguised as prosperous. All things she went after had a tendency of breaking her, such as Conrad. The only good thing in her life that came easily was David, but he was taken away. And now that she had him back, she couldn't believe how easy it was for him to tell her that he loved her, like she actually deserved to be loved. "I love you too," she whispered before capturing his lips in a kiss that was meant to be gentle, but quickly deepened. This was their first kiss in over eighteen years and just as it had then, his body against hers held the power to set her own on fire. Senses she forgot she possessed were awakened and she knew right then that her touch did the same to him. He was always a good person and he had a way of making her better in his presence. The lightness he gave her was addictive and redemption finally was a possibility. This realization got the best of her and she responded with an urgency, lying back onto the bed and pulling him on top of her. Maybe waiting was best, but she needed him from the inside-out.

Another thing she was reminded of was how she and David always had a way of being in sync. Every part of him seemed to agree, and seemingly turned into a definite yes as she felt him press himself against her thigh. The immediate response was to steal another kiss which was returned with an intensity that excited every last fiber of her being. "Victoria..." her heard her name being muttered against her lips and it was beyond belief that he was able to form words. Her first attempt failed, and then the next. Finally, she let out a "mhmm?", since she could tell he had something to ask her. If it could have waited, she wouldn't complain, but she and David finally had the one thing they never had before. Time. Being interrupted was bearable.

"You had a daughter shortly after I went to prison," the delivery could be read as either a statement or an open ended question. "Charlotte," he continued. Still on top of her, he looked down with an expression just as mixed as his words. Was he waiting for an answer, or was he not finished asking a question?

Clearly, he wanted to ask if it was his child. Not only did he have the timing on his side, but also the fact that the child had been named Charlotte. It was Victoria's indirect clue, should the news make its way back to him. She never stopped loving him and since he heard about it, she supposed that was another weighing factor in his ability to forgive. Words failed him, and so she nodded her head. "Yes, she's ours," being able to say out loud that she had a child with David Clarke left a smile plastered on her face. "She looks just like you..." Conrad always said that Charlotte looked like Victoria and maybe that was what he truly saw. Or maybe, he'd always been in denial that Charlotte wasn't his, since he raised her adoringly. "You have identical laughs. It always haunted me, but it's been my absolute favorite sound in the world."

Many questions needed to be asked, and he took a few seconds trying to figure out what to ask first. "Does she know I'm her father?" she simply nodded and allowed him to ask the next one. "Is she happy?" that was a loaded question and all Victoria could do was shrug as the sound 'eh' escaped her. "Gordon told me that she was in rehab. Is she still?" she shook her head. "I know she knows that you're alive. So she's coming here? I get to meet her?"

They flashed matching smiles as Victoria reached up to cup his cheek in her hand. "You'll get to meet her and I know she'll be very excited. She's been very curious about you. I tell her the most I can, but it was very difficult. I never had it in me to speak of you without breaking down."

He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her lips as though to kiss the pain away, which worked. "Where is she now?" for all he knew, she could have been in another country exploring before coming to London. She was a teenager after all. He obviously didn't want to hear the only answer Victoria had to give.

"She's in the Hamptons..." the words were mumbled and thrown at there at high speed as though he somehow wouldn't catch it and ask for her to repeat herself. His eyes widened with horror and her face immediately contorted with guilt. "She told me that she would be on her way here as soon as she finished up some things there," Victoria knew that wasn't going to help the situation, especially since she worried about Charlotte fixing things with Conrad.

"How could you let her stay there?!" he wasn't yelling, but he wasn't speaking calmly either. Two minutes ago, he was telling her that he forgave her for her actions because he loved her, but he was willing to get upset over the daughter he never got to meet. Theoretically, that made Victoria happy, knowing that he cared. Realistically, it sucked because he was right. "What if Conrad does something to hurt her? Family isn't off limits with him, Victoria. What were you thinking?!" he moved off of her and stood back up on the wooden floor, pacing like he'd been a few minutes ago, except he was without a doubt flustered now.

Even though this was David Clarke, she felt the need to defend herself. "I was thinking that I'm dead! There's only so much I can do!" she shot up from the bed and ran over to him, taking his hand and turning him around to face her. "I was told she'd get here safely. Gordon knows what he's doing."

"Oh so you trust the man who takes hit orders then carts his victims away?" When he said that, Victoria found herself silent during a fight for the first time in her life. How does one argue with that? It was true. Letting go of her hand and grabbing his phone from his pocket, he typed furiously. The brunette woman felt half inspired to tell him that he'd get things done faster if he called rather than texted, but she knew she was not in a good place to make any sort of wisecrack. Almost immediately, his phone lit up and his face drained of its color.

"What? What's going on?" she asked as her heart began to pound in her chest so hard that it actually hurt. He held up his phone and she read the message from the notorious white-haired man.

"_Problem. Conrad put her back in rehab. Faked her test results."_

Quickly, Victoria reached out and grabbed David's shoulder to keep herself from falling. Her heart pounded heavily and her head felt far too light. The urge to throw up took over her and she knew she couldn't just sit around and wait for Charlotte to be saved. But what was she to do. David wrapped an arm around her to hold her up and kissed the top of her head. "We'll get her out," he sounded nervous, but one of them needed to attempt to be the calm one with a plan. "We're going to bring her here ourselves."


	3. Chapter 3

"David, I really don't like this," the complaint was simply a followup of several others as she tugged at the wig she'd been wearing earlier, now back in place. The brown at the roots was already much lighter than her natural shade and although she always found it impressive how it could flow so effortlessly into a blonde nearly white by the tip, it wasn't Victoria's style. Many things had changed drastically throughout her life, but her hair was something she never did much to. She liked its natural color and it was naturally straight, give or take a few subtle waves if she were to fall asleep with her hair wet, or if she spent the day on the beach. And she always preferred it long, opposed to this pixie styled cut that ended inches above her shoulders. She knew she needed to shut her mouth, but she couldn't help the groan that escaped her when she held up her compact mirror and saw the heavy black makeup. Not to mention the contacts that turned her brown eyes into a deep green.

"Oh, I know this is horrific," David teased, a smirk pulling from his lips as Victoria looked back at him. "I know you've never had to hide that beautiful face of yours, but you do know what a disguise is, right?" the question was meant to be rhetorical and before she could answer, he winked and leaned forward to kiss her lips softly. "I need to make sure there isn't a single doubt about this person we made you. What should your name be?"

"Bambi," she flashed a playful grin before taking a moment to actually think it through. She couldn't use the name on her new ID. Veronica Clarke sounded like a normal name, but she wasn't about to underestimate Conrad. Veronica wasn't a far cry from Victoria, although it wouldn't have raised a flag had it not been accompanied by the last name 'Clarke'. "Hailey," she finally said and reviewed it once more. It didn't sound like a stripper name; it was an actual name. "Hailey Andrews." He nodded to show his approval and leaned back into his seat of the jet. He had the window seat and gave the passing sky a glance before turning his head back toward Victoria. A small smile was evident as she slipped her fingers through his. "I'm assuming your disguise will be more than a top hat and a trench coat."

"Of course. I'll take care of that in a little bit. I just want to sit here with you for now," with that, he leaned back over to press his lips to her forehead. Kindness was expected from David Clarke, but Victoria receiving this kind of treatment was still a notion she was trying to swallow. Believing that it was deserved wasn't going to be easy.

For now, all she could do was smile and tell herself that someday, she would be able to prove to herself that she deserved this. David sure thought she did. "So, this disguise of yours. Should I do your makeup?" the brunette didn't have to change her expression or tone of voice for him to know that she was joking. Somehow, all of the years between didn't tamper with their flawless communication.

A chuckle escaped him as he squeezed her hand gently. "I have a wig, brown contacts, I even have one of those prosthetic noses. They're pretty cool. Very uncomfortable though."

Of all the things she could possibly come up with, there was no controlling the thing that came out of her mouth. "Like in the new 21 Jump Street?" normally she had a way of sounding much more sophisticated, but the beauty of her relationship with David was that she was always able to let her guard down.

"You saw that too?!" that was the moment when two grown adults who've been through horrific turmoils allowed their IQs to drop; for a childlike essence to shine through. "How about all of the stages of their high?!"

"I know, right?!" even though they were on their way to rescue their daughter, they found these few moments of lightness. Although she wished they could keep that lightness about them, she knew she as going to have to bring up the bigger picture soon. She knew there were going to be conditions with this plan, but trying to bring it up was not easy.

"Victoria..." the way he said her name, she knew he was thinking the same thing. He was always the stronger one anyway, and so it made sense that he was the one to do this. "You know when we get there, we can only focus on getting Charlotte back, right?" the implication was there that should she see Daniel, she wasn't going to be able to pay any attention to him. For months, the two have been on a pretty rocky road, but that wasn't going to make this any easier. He was her son and she knew that she was never going to be able to speak to him again. "He's grown up now and we can only focus on saving Charlotte. She's still young and in trouble."

She didn't want to say it because it was such an incredibly sensitive subject, but there was always the slightest of chances that they would run into her. "What about Amanda?" the moment she asked, she felt like the world's biggest jerk. She was a part of the reason why he lost her in the first place and now it was happening all over again.

He must have read it in her expression, his softening as though in hopes that hers would do the same. "I think about her every single day of my life, but this deal is going to have to work both ways. We only focus on getting Charlotte out and that's that. Amanda is an adult now and I'm sure that it's better at this point that she thinks I'm dead. I know she got herself in trouble in the past and it must have taken years for her to straighten herself out. It would be selfish to mess with that. I have to allow her to move on," it didn't go unnoticed that he both looked and sounded disappointed, but it was coming from his mouth, not hers. Still, Victoria hated to see him ache. It wasn't going to take away his pain, but she pressed a kiss to his cheek anyway, to remind him that even if he couldn't have everything he loved, he still had her. He smiled weakly in response. "I'm going to put my fake face on so we're ready. I have my half of the plan figured out. What about you?"

"I have something in mind," the former Hampton royalty assured the living dead. "Just promise not to laugh."

* * *

Standing by as he waited for somebody to answer the door, David couldn't deny the nervous feeling that was beginning to take over him. He hadn't bothered to return to the Hamptons because he knew that he would end up fighting for Victoria and he would blow his cover. There was also the sadness of losing Amanda there, that Gordon had an easy time convincing him that it was best to stay away. There was a good chance that Conrad was at Grayson Global in Manhattan and they wouldn't have to deal with one another just yet. He was beginning to hope too highly for that, for the door opened and it was none other than Conrad Grayson. David had to admit that he was shocked he even answered doors, although that wasn't going to make him appear like less of the devil. Nobody could ever possibly hate him more than David Clarke and the biggest slap in the face was that as soon as that door opened, the blonde haired and blue eyes man in disguise had to leave his hard feelings behind. "Hello there Mr. Grayson, I'm Charles Allan," he flashed the ID forged to replicate that of Charlotte's rehab facility, an English accent lacing his words. "I was told you'd be expecting me, but clearly I've been misinformed. I do apologize for the intrusion, but is there a chance we can talk since I'm already here?"

The devil with blue eyes did look confused but since Charlotte was freshly back in rehab, he didn't appear to think much of it. "Very well, Mr. Allan," he stepped aside to allow the man inside. Once he was in, Conrad closed the door behind him and began to walk with an expectancy of Charles to follow, which he did.

As they walked through the wide hallway, one of the maids came walking the opposite way, passing them. Only the hair helped her stick out in David's mind and then did he realize that it was actually Victoria walking by in the blue and white uniform. When she told him not to laugh, she wasn't kidding. The last thing Victoria Grayson would be expected to be caught in was a maid's uniform, but that was exactly the point.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Grayson," she spoke in a voice slightly higher than her own, making herself sound sweeter. Normally the help had a way of sucking up and so she was going to do her best to give him what he expected.

"Good afternoon..." his voice trailed off and he gestured for her to finish, signaling that he didn't know her name.

"Hailey."

"Hailey. I'm sorry about that. I'm normally much better with names."

She had to hand it to him. Normally he was fantastic with names so when he flashed an apologetic smile, she knew it was as genuine as could be. He respected those who cleaned the dirt from the bottom of his shoe, simply because he didn't want to do it himself. Victoria didn't mean to, but when he stopped and turned to face her with David at her side, she did the same. "Don't worry, Mr. Grayson. You're a busy man."

"Yes, especially since the loss of my wife," he smiled sadly and she wanted to pin it as being faked, but she couldn't tell for sure. He was the one who decided it was time for Victoria to die, but he admitted to loving her in the strangest of ways more than once. "It's not the same without her. I miss her every single day."

Giving her most sympathetic of looks, Victoria reached out patted his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. She seemed like a great woman."

"The best."

She felt David's eyes on her and knew she needed to get back to their plan quickly. "Perhaps someday you can find someone else."

He shook his head. "Victoria was the love of my life. She can never be replaced."

For half of a second, she wanted to rip her wig off and tell him to stop being so pathetic and that she was right there, but then she had to consider the reality. He was most likely saying that to maintain his image. He was doing just fine without Victoria. She felt bad for almost exposing herself in a moment of weakness. They hadn't had a normal relationship, probably ever, and yet she felt obligated to comfort him. She needed to ignore it, however, now that she was being offered a second chance with David. "At least you'll always have the memories," she offered and just then, Daniel came walking in through the front door. She needed to force herself not to throw her arms around him and break down. It was true that he turned out to be just like his father, but she would always be his baby. And now she had to ignore him completely. "Excuse me. I should really get back to work," she told Conrad before turning her back to them and heading for the foyer to take the stairs. She heard Conrad introduce Daniel and 'Charles' before taking them both to his office. Her feelings couldn't get the best to her. What she had to do was grab some valuables to get Charlotte out of the country and some extra, because she worried about Gordon's commitment to help.

* * *

Sitting in the passenger seat of their rental car, Victoria waited quietly, yet impatiently for David's return. It took nearly fifteen minutes before he was getting in the driver's seat. Before anything, the two kissed, then David was quick to drive away. "What took you so long?" she asked as she hugged her black trench coat close to her body to conceal the embarrassing as anything uniform she was wearing. Her clothes were in the back seat, but she didn't want to waste time changing. Apart from the jacket, she put on an oversized pair of sunglasses and that was that for now.

"I hacked into the system. Charles Allan is an employee qualified to make transfers. With some convincing, Conrad called them up and agreed to allow Charlotte to return home. Daniel thought it would help Conrad's image and so the rest of her treatment will take place from home."

"Except she won't be there-"

"Because we're taking her with us."

* * *

When they arrived at the facility, Victoria agreed to wait in the car since she had no business being inside of the building. So it was a solo job for David. He filled out the necessary paperwork and before long, he was told to sit in the waiting room as they got Charlotte and her things together. There were a few people in the room, but two blonde women sitting across from him could be heard mentioning Charlotte's name. In most most official of tones, while faking the English accent effortlessly, he decided to confront them. "Friends of Charlotte Grayson?"

They paused and turned to look at the man before one of them decided to speak. "Yes, we're close friends. My name is Emily Thorne and this is Amanda."

Forcing himself not to show any emotion, he needed to hear a last name to know for sure. First, he reached a hand out to Emily and they shook. "Nice to meet you Emily Thorne, I'm Charles Allan," he then turned to a confident and very pregnant looking Amanda and held out his hand. "Amanda-"

"Clarke. My name is Amanda Clarke," although she was reluctant, she reached out and took his hand, shaking it firmly. When she let go, she placed her hand over her baby bump and he swore, he could break down and cry at that moment. How was one supposed to handle it? He hadn't seen Amanda since she was a child and now he was just feet away, having to pretend that he didn't care at all. "So Charles," she sat back and looked him over. "What business do you have with Charlotte?"

"I spoke to Mr. Grayson and he agreed to allow her to return home under a close eye. We both feel that perhaps her time in rehab has been too much. She'd be much more comfortable in a familiar environment."

The woman called Emily put on a smile that was so obviously forced, but it was a pretty one nonetheless. "What a great idea. She's been through so much. She needs her family."

"Indeed she does," they both meant it in different ways, but at least he was able to agree about something. One thing he knew for sure was that he couldn't deal with being in front of Amanda much longer. He couldn't reveal himself and he refused to ruin everything that she managed to become. "Well, I do apologize if you've been waiting long for her, but I have to take her straight home. Perhaps you can meet her there?"

"Actually, that sounds like a great idea. We'll be on our way now," Emily stood up and reached out to help Amanda get up on her feet. "Have a great day, Mr. Allan," and with that she turned away. Amanda didn't bother to mutter another word and perhaps it would be easier that way. He watched them both exit and right then entered a beautiful brunette with a duffle bag. He recognized her from the pictures and despite what Victoria claimed, Charlotte was an exact replica of her.

"Charlotte Grayson, I assume," he spoke softly and smiled at the nervous looking teenager. "I'm sure you're ready to get out of here?" What he wanted was to hug her and tell him who he was, but he needed to put that off a little bit longer.

She shrugged. "I shouldn't have been locked up in here again in the first place."

The bitterness and sarcasm? Oh yeah. That was a Victoria-ism.

* * *

Digging into her bra and pulling out the remaining pieces of jewelry, she didn't take the time to examine them before throwing them into her purse on the floor that was holding all of the valuables she'd taken. Technically they weren't stolen since they were once her own. Hearing an engine starting up in the car next to hers, she looked over and through tinted lenses, she caught sight of both Emily Thorne and Amanda Clarke. Emily naturally earned a groan, although Amanda made her feel bad. More than likely, David had a run in with her, but seeing how both women didn't look flustered, he hadn't given himself away. They drove away and about five minutes later, she saw her love in disguise walking to the car with Charlotte at his side. He opened the door for her and she climbed into the backseat. David got in the front and started up the car, pulling away without a word.

Looking up at the rearview mirror, she noticed Charlotte was sitting without a seatbelt and rolled her eyes, not bothering to disguise her voice. "For the love of god Charlotte, will you put on your seatbelt."

"Mom?!" she leaned forward to grab her shoulder.

"Seatbelt!" she yelled and watched as her daughter sat back and put it on, looking nothing short of confused. "How did you get back here? I told you I'd get to London on my own."

"And look how well that turned out," she gestured back toward the rehab they just busted her out of and sighed, looking back at her daughter. "You're welcome by the way. We risked ourselves by confronting Conrad to get you out. And now I have to tell Gordon that I went against his orders and left the country just so I can pay him for your new ID."

"We?" she looked over at the man in the driver's seat. "Who is he? I'm guessing he's not Charles Allan."

Victoria couldn't wait to tell, but they needed to be sitting down in a place other than a car to talk that one out. "I'll be able to answer everything soon. Now we just have to focus on getting back to London."


	4. Chapter 4

Up in the air, she held her hand out, her back against the mattress. Her eyes stared at the ring she had no business wearing anymore, for her wedding had been ended before making herself disappear. It was a piece that she normally wouldn't have cared to be bothered with, but one day before Charlotte was thrown back into rehab wrongfully, she brought some things that she believed held enough value to support the two of them. Nothing they owned was cheap, per-say, but the things collected wouldn't be able to help them out too long seeing how they had fake IDs to pay for as well as traveling expenses and such, if Gordon wound up leaving them on their own after his work was done. She didn't know then that his work was only beginning and that the man not only kept her alive, but David as well. For the longest time, she felt as though the Initiative served as Conrad's puppet master, and now, Gordon was hers. At least if her fate was going to be determined by somebody other than herself, at least they brought her back to David. There was no arguing with that.

Even though she knew she was better off living this life as another person in another country without Conrad, she couldn't help but wonder why she put the damn ring back on her finger. Wearing it made her feel guilty and not only because she shouldn't have been wearing a ring that once symbolized an expired loyalty. The problem was that at that moment, she wanted to turn back around and go straight to Grayson Manor so that she could be standing in front of her ex husband once again. She didn't want to be a maid in disguise, but instead she'd be herself so Conrad would know exactly who is slapping him across the face. When she left, she thought she would never have to see him again but goodbye was never just that, she was learning. She showed up to find him gushing about how great his wife had been and how he missed her so much. One thing she knew for sure was that his life would never be the same assuming that she was dead. Maybe he did feel bad, but he was the one who contracted the kill. And now he was the one with yet another enemy.

She tried to imagine what it would be like to face him with David by her side; to haunt Conrad with two of the most horrifying ghosts of his past. It would be something straight out of a nightmare for him and she wasn't sure if she loved or hated the idea. Naturally, Victoria loved to torture a person if they've wronged her and Conrad sure as hell has. But at the same time, she couldn't help but think about what fueled his hatred for David; what convinced him that his own friend would make the perfect target. He was jealous. Maybe he wasn't good at saying it out loud, but he hated that Victoria had fallen for him and became so open about it. He wanted her all to himself and when the Initiative was threatening to take Conrad away from Victoria when he was already being threatened such a thing in a different nature, he came to the conclusion that he would remove the other man from the picture. He made it so that he was the only one left for Victoria so there wouldn't have to be a choice.

It took all of this for her to come to the conclusion that should have been obvious all along, but up until now, all she was able to think about was David. There was no thinking about the reason everything happened. All she was able to think about was what happened and the pain that came along with it. She'd been consumed with guilt and an undying love for the man she now had a second chance with. She wasn't going to ruin it by running to see Conrad just to let him know that he was a son of a bitch. There was a small bit of her in the back of her mind that feared caving into him again if she was given the chance to be his wife again. Whether it was out of habit from being with him for a quarter of a century or because there was a part of her that loved him - she needed to move on. For all of these years, she told herself that if there was some way to be reunited with the man who'd stolen her heart, she would take the chance in an instant.

"Mom," the sound of her daughter's voice tore her from her thoughts and she looked over at the teenager who stood in the doorframe. Charlotte didn't wait for a response, but continued instead. "You told me that you were going to explain everything. We're home, I guess..." she said quietly since she needed to adjust to the fact that for the first time in her life, she moved. There was no preparation involved. It literally just happened.

There wasn't a single part of Victoria that wanted to hold back, but when she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. Remember that time I told you that your father was dead? April fools. Seriously. There was no right way and seeing how Charlotte had become notorious for handling her stress in unhealthy ways and Victoria didn't want to say anything that would cause her daughter to go grabbing for pills.

"We're in another country and an intimidating man gave me my new identity. I'm pretty sure I can handle anything you throw my way at this point," the young brunette said as though she'd been reading Victoria's mind. She pushed herself from the doorframe and walked over to her mother's new bed and sat down. "Come on. Talk."

Victoria was silent and as she searched for a way to explain things, she reached out for her daughter and tugged her arm, instructing her to lie down beside her. When she did, the Ice Queen let out a sigh. "That man that gave you your new ID card was the man who called me to get me off of the plane."

"Wait. So that's the guy dad hired to kill you?" it came out as a question, although it was left unanswered, for it truly was rhetorical. The two have spoken about that before. Now it was time to talk about things that Charlotte didn't quite know yet. It wasn't going to be easy, but for the first time since Charlotte's formed her addiction, the two were close. Victoria would be able to keep an eye on her, especially considering how they didn't know anyone in London, leaving Charlotte with nowhere to go.

"Yes, that's him," she answered as she laid on her side to face her daughter. "Gordon Murphy. That's also the man who was hired to kill David in prison."

It was like flicking a switch. Just like that, Charlotte's eyes were welling up with tears. Her strong demeanor vanished. Victoria quickly wrapped an arm around her, feeling as though her child would fall apart otherwise. "We took help from the man who killed my real father? He's the reason I never got to meet him?"

"Shhh calm down," she whispered as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Charlotte's forehead. "Gordon's done a lot of good. I'm sure there's plenty of bad on his resume, but we're fairing well because of him."

"At what price? Why are we alive? Last I checked, dad was the rich one. We're now broke."

"We're limited, yes," she thought of all of the things she had stuffed in her purse. It was going to go a long way, but it wasn't going to last forever unless she learned how to spend like a normal person should. She spent half of her life allowing money to go flying out of her hands. It wasn't going to be so difficult, she felt, since she once struggled. She managed to get by on nothing and at least now there was something to work with. "But we have much more than we've ever had before if you think about it."

"And what's that?" the young woman asked as she raised a brow. All she wanted was answers and the impatience was beginning to become evident on her face.

Before she could say anything, she noticed a figure walking passed her door. "Get in here," she called out and when the figure reappeared, she couldn't help but laugh when she saw the love of her life standing there in his disguise. The two exchanged smiles and she watched as he gave in and walked over to the bed and around so that he could sit on the other side of Victoria. Her back was facing him and when she felt his hand on her shoulder, she smiled. "This is someone we can trust."

Charlotte looked curiously, although after a few seconds, it was obvious that she hadn't figured out who was sitting a couple of feet away from her. "I never heard of a Charles Allan before."

"That's not his real name."

"Seriously?" sarcasm bled through every last syllable.

All Victoria could do was roll her eyes, and so she did. She always hated when sarcasm was used against her, and that was Charlotte's greatest defense. She had to see it coming since Victoria spoke sarcasm fluently. Still, it was like being shot by your own gun. Before she could comment on her daughter's behavior, she rolled onto her back and gently took David's nose between her thumb and index finger. "I'm about to play the greatest game of 'got your nose' ever," she warned and in an instant, the grin she adored was plastered on his face. He must have taken it off and put it back on as a joke because it came off all too easily. "Aha," she held it up. "Got your nose."

"I can't breathe!" he teased and the two laughed before Charlotte forced a fake cough to make her presence known to them. "Vic, this one's on you."

"Okay," she took in a deep breath to buy a few seconds. Her hand reached for David's for the sake of emotional support. "Charlotte, I really don't know how to say this. So I'm just going to come out with it. This is-"

"Victoria, what is this?" she looked back at David blankly and he held up their hands, angling hers so that she could know that he was referring to the wedding ring on her finger. Before she felt bad for Conrad and now she felt dumb for ever thinking like that. Conrad falsely turned David into a terrorist and tried to have him killed. And now Victoria laid there wearing his ring. "Why do you have this?"

"I'm selling it," she told him as calmly as possible and squeezed his hand. "I don't even know why I put it on. I'm sorry. I know you're upset."

He nodded as he let go of her hand. "Damn straight I'm upset. It's one thing to sell it, but wearing it? You have his ring on your finger. Do you miss him?"

"No, I don't miss him. I want you!" It was only a matter of time before she and David had their first fight as a couple, but it felt like it was happening too soon. Maybe every single time they'd fight in the future, she'd irrationally fear that she'd lose him, although it was a hundred percent rationalized. "Stop this. I love you."

"But you miss Daniel."

"Of course I miss Daniel, but he's all grown up. I'm more concerned about our child. Conrad's done enough damage and now we need to undo it."

"'Our child'?" Charlotte interrupted, reminding both David and Victoria that she was in fact in the room. When they heard her voice, they both froze and just like that, the argument was over. When they looked at their daughter, it was obvious that she was finally there with them. "Oh my god. It is you..." she sat up and studied David. Victoria sat up as well and removed his wig for him.

"Charlotte, I wish I could have told you when you were younger. Gordon saving me came with conditions," he tried to explain, fearing the absolute worst.

Victoria tried to think of the right thing to say but before she can, Charlotte was leaning over her, throwing her arms around her birth father. David returned the embrace and she just kind of sat there awkwardly caught in the crosshairs. Finally, she felt an arm around her and before she could figure out who it belonged to, the both of them had her in their hold. "I wish I knew Charlotte. I wouldn't have kept you there..."

"I get it," was all Charlotte said. Even though she's been to hell and back, Victoria knew her daughter was smart. She did get it.

After some time, the teenager pulled back. "I have so many questions and I swear I'll ask them all, but in a little bit. This is so much to take in.. I need some air."

Completely the opposite of what the reunion called for Charlotte stood up with tears in her eyes and rushed out of the room. Maybe she didn't want to be seen bawling her eyes out. It was definitely one of those moments where one would in fact sob uncontrollably. Even if this was a good thing, it was stressful nonetheless. So when she heard the front door opening and closing, she quickly jumped up. "I'm going to check on her," she whispered and before she could go, David was pressing his lips against hers in a short and sweet kiss.

"Go on. I'll give you two a minute," he smiled.

Victoria nodded and left her jacket behind, running with a purpose until she went out the front door and although she expected to find nothing but strangers, there were two familiar things she noticed right away. Against the brick wall, Charlotte stood there, apparently just needing fresh air like she said before. She needed it, that was true, but the other thing forced her to reach out and pull her daughter inside.

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she didn't want to talk about it, especially since she felt like the only one of the two who would be worried. "I just need you to come inside."

When they made their way back in, Charlotte excused herself to change into something more comfortable in her new room. Once she was gone, David came out of Victoria's bedroom and made his way over to her slowly. "Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's happy. It's just a lot to take in."

"I know," when he reached her, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hair. "We're all together now. Nothing can come between us."

"Emily Thorne can."

He pulled back just to give her a look that was meant to make her feel crazy. "Amanda's friend?" he shook his head. "She's harmless. Besides, you're worried about nothing. She's in the Hamptons. We're here."

She shook her head. "No, David. I saw her."

"You what?"

"She had black hair, but I know what I saw. She was standing across the street and looking right at Charlotte. The minute she saw me, she turned away. She's here," she knew she sounded crazy, but she hoped that some part of David would believe her.

No such luck. His expression softened as he pulled her back into his arms. "It's been a long day, Vic. She has no reason to be here."

"Not as far as we know. I never trusted her."

"You don't have to, because she's not here."

She wanted to accept what he was telling her, but she knew in her heart that she saw her son's ex-fiance. All along, she knew the woman had an agenda of her own, but she always believed that it had something to do with self gain. Marrying Daniel would have meant fame for Emily, although now she was being forced to accept that maybe it had nothing to do with Daniel at all. She knew what she saw and she also knew she needed to get rid of her before her family was torn apart.


End file.
